Fornebu metro line competition winners announced

Designs selected for six Oslo subway stations

Zaha Hadid and Gottlieb Paludan are among the winners of the design competition for six subway stations at the Fornebubanen in Oslo and Bærum. The stations will serve a new 8km undergound metro line connecting Majorstuen interchange station in Oslo’s city centre to the Fornebu peninsula, where a decommissioned airport is undergoing regeneration to create a community of 6,000 new homes alongside civic, cultural and corporate developments.

The contest attracted 85 applications, from which 14 teams were invited to take part in the prequalification process. Each subway station was treated as a separate competition, resulting in wins for Zaha Hadid and A-Lab for Fornbuporten and Fornebu Senter, Gottlieb Paludan Architects and L2 Architects for Skøyen and Vækerø, Mestres Wåge for Flytårnet and Asplan Viak for Lysaker.

The Fornebu Senter design by Zaha Hadid contains carved areas reminiscent of canyons to cater for the flow of people, inspired by the shape of Norway’s mountainous landscapes. For the Fornbuporten, entrances at either end define two distinct civic spaces at street level, with atmospheric lighting inside fluctuating in tune with the time of day to enhance passengers’ well-being.

Gottlieb Paludan Architects created 1000 underground bicycle parking spots at Skøyen Station, which is part of a larger traffic hub. The concept builds on the existing station’s traditional choice of Norwegian materials, timber and slate. Vækerø Station is located inside a mountain, with the two entrances at either end interconnected by a sculptural ‘sky’ of golden metal.

Mestres Wåge based the concept for Flytårnet on the area’s flight heritage, including entrances with glass roofs protruding over the building and ceilings designed with reference to flags. For Lysaker, Asplan Viak contained the stations within a large circle surrounded by greenery, creating a distinct environment as a catalyst for future development.

The Fornebuban authorities will now begin entering into contracts with the winners. Lan Marie Nguyen Berg, Oslo Vice Mayor for Environment and Transport, stated: "We have a tradition in Oslo for exciting and functional subway architecture. The city council is keen to uphold this tradition as we carry out the largest collective development in the Oslo region since the subway was built after WWII.”

Lucy NordbergTenderStream Head of Research

This competition was first published by TenderStream on 15.12.2017 here